^^0 OBSERVATIONS ON THE MOLE. 
great ingenuity and utility, — particularly a sort of rake, 
connected with a roller, for the purpose of breaking down, 
pulverising ajid cleaning rough ground, which I would term 
a Regulated Harrow ; and a conical windlass, which works 
by a rope thrown two or more times round it, joined again 
at the two ends, and running in a moveable block suspended 
below the roller, and to which block the weight to be raised 
is attached. This invention is extremely simple, and de^ 
serves to be universally known. It is perhaps the most 
powerful mechanical contrivance that has ever been thought 
of, and is found to answer extremely well for rooting out 
trees. I think it should be named Fletcher's Conical 
Windlass. 
But to return. — The size and exterior appearance of the 
Common Mole is so well known, as scarcely to require de- 
scription. We all know it to be a little quadruped, of five 
or six inches in length, covered with a soft fur-like down, 
and of an iron-black colour (white individuals sometimes 
occur), the feet being exceedingly short in proportion to its 
body ; the fore ones much larger, stronger, and more mus- 
cular, than the hind ones. Indeed, the mole can scarcely be 
said to have any fore legs. The feet seem to be fixed to the 
sides of the animal, without the intervention of legs. Each 
foot is armed with five claws or fingers, fortified with long 
horny points, the middle claw being a little longer than the 
rest, somewhat analogous to the human fingers. The fore-feet 
are almost twice the breadth of the hind ones, exceedingly 
strong, and well calculated for digging in the ground. The 
snout is long, and very much in the shape of that of a hog ; 
the under jaw being extremely short in proportion to the 
upper one ; or, I should rather say, that a flexible snout or 
proboscis projects about half an inch beyond the under jaw. 
The head seems fixed to the body, without the intervention 
